I'll show you the way home
by wildkitkat
Summary: Its the anniversary of the Uchiha massacre and Sasuke is secretky struggling to cope. Kakashi only wants to help, whether Sasuke wants it or not


"Sasuke!"

"No!"

"Get back here!"

"No I can handle this myself!"

Kakashi let out a frustrated sigh. "How do you intend to do that?"

"Just leave me alone!"

Naruto, Sakura and Saske had been training. Naruto had got a bit carried away when Sasuke kept ignoring him and though Naruto had been unconscious, Sakura easily revived him. Sasuke had sustained a dislocated shoulder and a deep cut on his arm, the rest were just bumps and bruises and a few scratches. Kakashi couldn't understand why Sasuke was hurt like this. It would have been easy for Sasuke to dodge all of Naruto's blows.

Sasuke had refused to let Sakura check him and Kakashi didn't want to embarrass him in front of the other two so he had told him to go to the hospital.

When Kakashi dropped by the hospital later on, he found out that Sasuke hadn't been. He was angry that Sasuke had disobeyed him, but was also concerned.

He had noticed how tired the boy had been all week and he seemed to be getting sadder as the week drew on. There had been dark shadows under his eyes and he had looked paler than usual. Before he arrived at Sasuke's home he had quickly spoken to the Hokage and was startled to hear that this week was the anniversary of his clan's death. Tonight to be exact.

So that was why Kakashi was now having a yelling match with one of his students. He had been standing outside of the closed door for Sasuke to invite him in. He had finally walked in and had tried to grab the young boy who had darted out of his reach.

"You are a brat, you know that?" grumbled Kakashi.

"Get out of my home." Growled Sasuke.

Kakashi glanced at the small table and saw an opened first aid kit. There was a messy heap of bandages and crumpled tissues stained with blood as well as some gauze. Sasuke noticed where he was looking and quickly walked into his line of view.

"Looks like someone tried to patch themselves up." Grinned Kakashi.

Glare.

"Come on, let's get you to the hospital." Kakashi didn't want Sasuke alone tonight; a good sleep in a bright place surrounded by people who could keep an eye on him seemed like a really good idea right now.

"Get lost." Said Sasuke.

"I think I see you're problem. Your one arm is horribly cut and the other is dislocated. You can't tend to the other until you pop your shoulder back in. As I can see you have attempted."

Sasuke carried on glaring, his shoulder had swollen and there was vivid bruising where he had tried to force it back in. "The problem," began Kakashi tracing the edge of the table with a bored expression, "is that you should have gone to the hospital when I told you, now its too swollen." He glanced up, the boy was still on guard, what did he think he would do? Grab him in a neck hold and play nurse?

Wasn't that the plan anyway?

"Hospital?" suggested Kakashi one more time. Hey he was giving the kid a chance here.

Sasuke suddenly looked very tired. "Just go away, I don't want to see anyone, I just want to be left alone. I'll go to the hospital tomorrow."

Kakashi wasn't sure what to do. He could force the boy to the hospital and leave him there for the night. He would be safe from himself at least but utterly miserable. Then it struck Kakashi.

"Sleep over!" he cried enthusiastically.

"What?"

"I'm gonna stay here tonight with you! Now, where's the spare bed?"

Sasuke finally snapped, "You think this is a joke, some game? Get the fuck out of here right now or I swear I'll shove a goddam knife through your other eye!"

Sasuke's eyes widened as Kakashi jumped over the table, took a firm hold of Sasuke's collar and threw him down on his back on the table. Sasuke grabbed a kunai from his pouch with his good arm but was immediately relieved of it and all his other weapons. Kakashi pushed down on him, keeping him pinned with his weight as he began going through the stuff on the table.

Kakashi began pouring something onto a cloth and cleaned the cut on his arm. He kept trying to be gentle but it was hard with Sasuke squirming like that. Plus this stupid blue top kept getting in the way. Easily, Kakashi pulled the top off, minding the shoulder and noticed Sasuke wince. Using to fingers he began prodding Sasuke's ribcage which he could practically count. "You haven't been eating much." He noted.

The boy didn't reply. Kakashi could see he was really embarrassed. "You should have just gone to the hospital instead of trying to be all tough." He said and finally located a cracked rib. Grabbing some medical tape, he began to tape the chest area. When he was done he focused on the cut arm again. "Stitches." He murmured. "Stay here" he ordered Sasuke. As soon as he lifted himself off the boy, Sasuke leapt to his feet, kicked out which Kakashi easily dodged. Sasuke then let his Sharigan flare. "Get out! How dare you!" Kakashi rolled his eyes and grabbed the roll of bandage, he walked to Sasuke who got himself in a stance, and it would have been intimidating had he not had his arm sticking at an odd angle.

- 5 minutes later-

Sasuke lay bound with his wrists tied behind him with bandages and Kakashi was sitting on his legs on the floor, Sasuke tried to buck but Kakashi stayed in place. He took a cloth and some ice he had taken from Sasuke's freezer and wrapped it around the swollen shoulder socket, he then produced a needle and saw Sasuke glance at it worryingly. "Just a numbing agent." He promised. He injected Sasuke and began the stitches. "Ten stitches," said Kakashi. "Use tissue oil and it won't scar too much." He offered.

Sasuke was now staring at him, not even trying to hide his gaze. Kakashi ran a hand through his grey hair. "Okay the swelling has gone down and this wont be pleasant so…. just hold still."

Sasuke was now trying to escape. "Don't, don't just leave it." Kakashi ignored him and began removing the ice package. "I'll do it myself!" shouted Sasuke.

Kakashi undid the restraint and Sasuke immediately tried to hit at him. In two moves, he pushed the shoulder back into the socket. "You fucker!" cried Sasuke. But his face turned even paler, even his lips were white.

Then he fainted.

Kakashi felt bad now, thinking about it, he could have just sat Sasuke on the couch and convinced him to go to the hospital. He didn't feel bad for long, what was done was done.

He cleaned the rest of the dirt and grime off the boy and lay him on the couch. After cleaning up he decided to cook. It had grown darker as time passed and Kakashi would every now and then check Sasuke's Chakra signature. When he had finished cooking he laid it out and checked Sasuke again.

Nothing.

He ran to the couch and he was gone. Kakashi could have kicked himself.

He sat down and thought about what he should do. He would wait half an hour. Half an hour later he was in the same spot. Then he had an idea, he went down to the lake and looked on the dock. No Sasuke.

It was then nine at night and he was worried, he went back to Sasuke's house. No sign and finally went to the Hokage. "Sasuke has disappeared, it's the night his family was killed and its obviously driving him crazy and I don't know where an emotionally unstable ninja would go on the anniversary his whole life was taken away from him."

He paused. "Never mind I just answered my own question."

The Hokage had barely looked at him. So he ran through the village, through the gate and was on his way to the Uchiha compound. He got there at around ten and hid in the shadows. He spotted Sasuke, but kept his Chakra low. He didn't want Sasuke to know he was here. He saw him walking around, then stopping at certain parts and just staring into space. He was obviously reliving happier times since there was a small smile on his face. Then he stared at a cracked wall that had a faded symbol on it, then at a house. He removed his shoes and hesitated momentarily before going inside. Kakashi watched through the windows as he saw Sasuke move things around. He placed four chairs around a table, put four plates and four cups, then sat down. He looked around and smiled and began nodding and if Kakashi could see clearly, asking questions. Sasuke picked up his chopsticks and began to eat imaginary food. Finally Kakashi clicked, he was trying to re-enact a scene from his childhood. A simple family dinner. Kakashi felt his heart give a painful squeeze.

Saske froze and seemed to be lost in his thoughts again. His hand was shaking and the glass he was holding shattered. He began trashing the room, the table was kicked into the wall, dishes went flying and Sasuke was yelling.

"No! I hate you! I hate you! Mother, father "I'm so sorry. Shit, why? WHY?"

Then Sasuke was up and running, he tore through the house and out the garden were he began furiously beating the wall. He slid down and curled up, Kakashi listened carefully as Sasuke's body shook. He was crying, but so quietly. Even though he thought he was completely alone, he still wouldn't let himself go.

Then he got up, wiping away tears and began pounding into the wall and to Kakashi's shock, began head butting the wall. Kakashi leapt from his hiding place and Kakashi grabbed a firm hold of his arm. Sasuke turned eyes terrified. "No!" he screamed and began punching at Kakashi. "Kill you!" he yelled. Kakashi grabbed a firm hold on Sasuke's face and forced him to look him in the face. Sasuke froze when he realised it was Kakashi. His breathing was shallow and his eyes wide with confusion.

"Enough of that." He said sternly.

"Why wont you leave me the hell alone?!" he shouted twisting free. Kakashi noticed there was blood slowly dripping down his face from his head.

"Because Sasuke, you are not alone." With that he picked up the boy and carried him back into the house. "I want to stay here!" he cried. "We will, we will" assured Kakashi. He grabbed the satchel he had brought with him and made two make shift beds and brought out two containers. "I brought you some food."

"I'm not hungry." Muttered Sasuke.

"Never the less I'm bigger than you so you must do what I say." Said Kakashi smiling and passed a small portion of food to Sasuke. Together they quietly ate and then Sasuke curled into a ball. They were quiet for a very long time and finally Kakashi pulled out some gauze and moved over to Sasuke.

He helped him sit up and then began patching the cut on his head.

"You know, it's not you're fault." Said Kakashi unexpectedly.

Sasuke shrugged.

"Its not your fault." He repeated.

"Yeah." Muttered Sasuke slightly.

"Its not your fault."

"I get it!" yelled Sasuke angrily trying to tear himself away from Kakashi who was holding him and looking at him so seriously.

"Its not your fault."

"Just shut up! Shut up!"

"Its not your fault."

"I'm sorry! Mom I'm so sorry! I-Itachi.."

"Its not your fault."

"You weren't there! No one was there! Just me, me and h-him".

"It wasn't your fault."

"I know, Itachi, but…"

"It wasn't your fault."

"I wished he had killed me!"

"It wasn't your fault."

"Why didn't he kill me?!"

"It wasn't your fault."

That was it, Sasuke broke down in huge, angry sobs. He cried and screamed and moaned. Then began pulled at his hair as if he wanted to pull memories out of his head.

Kakashi pulled him across onto his lap and pinned his arms to his side. Then began to rock him, slowly as he carried on crying and trying to hold back five years of emotion running through him, making him crazy. He couldn't hold back anymore.

Kakashi kept holding him, even when Sasuke fell asleep. Morning came and he pulled a hood over him so the sun wouldn't disturb him and carried him slowly back to the village. The Hokage was at the gate and nodded when she saw him carrying him in. She helped Kakashi wipe him down with a sponge and put him in clean clothes and put fresh bandages on. She then lit some incense and put it by the bed, a relaxing herb that would help him sleep.

The Hokage and Kakashi then went into the kitchen and talked over a cup of coffee. He told her what he had seen and she acknowledged that she had neglected Sasuke, assuming he would grieve in his own way.

While Naruto was unable to have family, he had friends. Something Sasuke couldn't open himself up enough to do.

Sasuke woke up later that day when someone was re-wrapping his bandages and then making him eat a bit of soup and a drink of herbal medicine before he fell back to sleep again.

The Hokage stared at Sasuke, he seemed so vulnerable now. The herbal drink did have herbs to make him sleep for at least another day. His body and mind desperately needed the rest. Just another way Sasuke had made himself suffer, she only realised how self-abusive he really was looking back. The way he would deny help, starve himself, train till he bleed, lack of sleep. She had a plan forming in her mind.

Two days after Sasuke's breakdown, the Hokage had finished the guardianship papers and Kakashi had just signed them.

Kakashi held the copy in his hand, balancing a tray with some dinner on it, he had specially made a dinner with lots of tomatoes in it. He gently woke Sasuke up and turned on the light, he placed the tray on Sasuke's knees and Sasuke stared at the paper with confusion, his head shot up and he stared at Kakashi, mouth hanging open.

"Welcome home." Said Kakashi with a big smile.

Heart wrenching right? Lol I love Sasuke angst and Kakashi fatherly. Hope you enjoyed reading this and please review. I finally found a home and place I belong after being in so many homes and once on the streets for two weeks. I wish I had had a Kakashi to rely on and someone who cared enough to take me firmly by the hand and lead me to somewhere safe. Oh well tell me what you think and if you have any ideas!


End file.
